The Party Crasher
I never want to reduce a book to quippy tweet-like punchlines. However, Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright and Michal Bird is absolutely chock full of amazingly powerful teeth punches that capture so much of the significance of this important resource.
Examples include the following:
• “The greatest evils are not done by people who believe that what they do is wicked, but by those who believe that what they do is righteous” (pg. 148).
• “Any government is better than anarchy” (pg. 152).
• “Democracy is only as good as the people and institutions guarding it” (pg. 163).
• “We need to choose truth over tribe” (pg. 169).
• “Politics is like fire; get too close and you will burn; stay away and you will freeze” (pg. 97).
• “Democracy’s strength is that it can sustain diversity. Democracy’s weakness is that diversity creates conflict” (pg. 170).
I could go on and on, and it illustrates a key point that I would like to make (and might have just fallen victim to!): humanity loves quippy quotes pulled from their context, especially those that support their previously held biases and reinforce the power in which they believe they hold.
This is especially prevalent in the faith community. You see, Wright and Bird say, “Of the mixing of religion and politics there is no end” (pg. 35). Many people believe that the Church should not get involved in politics. I have historically been one of those people. Others say that the Church should actively seek seats at the table of political power. I have a handful of those people in my congregation, and I honestly don’t know what to do with them, their blasted voter guides, their clipboard petitions, and their firey social media posts.
My Mom was one of those people, albeit in pre-social media. She has since passed away. Until her death, she served as a Foursquare pastor and, before that, an Assembly of God pastor. Even before that, she was a “higher-up” for the Minnesota Family Council, the political activism branch of Focus on the Family. My mom and I would often have calm and civil conversations about her work and the role of the Church in the political sphere. Her common refrain was, “We gotta bring God back into our…fill in the blank…(schools, city halls, governments, etc).” I would keep saying, “Mom, I think that proverbial ship has sailed!” My mom’s response (whom I love dearly and miss deeply) to my “that ship has sailed” comment would be to double down on the Christian founding of America and that America has always been about God. Yikes. Where do I even start? It’s startling how often conversations shift to the faith and religious intention of our Founding Fathers. How is it possible to completely know the original heart and intent of people who lived hundreds of years ago?
What it often gets reduced to are soundbites, something overheard from somewhere else (that we don’t really understand ourselves), and, sadly, clickbait designed to agitate and disrupt, even when it is most often not accurate.
To that point, I appreciated Wright and Bird’s balanced and sane approach to essential questions of our day. This book, along with my friend Joshua Ryan Butler’s The Party Crasher: How Jesus Disrupts Politics As Usual and Redeems Our Partisan Divide, has given me language and context for those conversations that I used to quickly try to get out of. OK…for the most part, I still try to get out of them!
Wright and Bird assert that “while the government is instituted by God for public justice, security, and welfare, we have concluded that it is permissible to disobey unjust laws and to resist unjust government” (pg. 122). I appreciate this well-needed balance, and the directives to resist totalitarianism (ie: facism, nazism), and Christian nationalism. They say, “We would be happy to live under the administration of a wise and benevolent Christian leader. Of course, we are also happy to live under a Pharaoh who puts a clever and capable Joseph in charge or vote for a Nebuchadnezzar who heeds the council of a wise man like Daniel. Even Martin Luther said he’d rather be ruled by a wise Turk than a foolish Christian” (pg. 130-131).
That Luther quote is, how do the kids say, FIRE!?!
Wright and Bird recommend resisting civic totalism (regulating individual beliefs, convictions, conscience, and religion in the name of being progressive). Sadly, the result of civic totalism would be eliminating ideological diversity. That may sound amazing to some, but it would be truly devastating. All this brings to mind Yascha Mounk’s The Identity Trap and The Cancelling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott, to name just a few of the resources we have been engaging with as of late.
Looking forward, Jesus and the Powers interests me in diving into Tom Holland’s Dominion later in the semester. From Wright and Bird’s perspective, Holland argues that the “moral disputes at the heart of our culture are between rival versions of Christian ethics that are playing out in the conservative versus progressive divide” (pg. 143). G.K Chesterton says, “The modern world is full of old Christian virtues gone mad.” Progressives and Conservatives may have more in common than we/they care to admit if that is true. There is so much here yet to be unpacked, and I’m excited to continue the work of discovery in Holland’s Dominion and in a future re-read of Jesus and the Powers.
Let’s see…hmmm…I might be re-reading Jesus and the Powers around November 5, 2024, if you know what I mean!
Lord Jesus, help us. We need you to be our Party Crasher.
About the Author
John Fehlen
John Fehlen is currently the Lead Pastor of West Salem Foursquare Church. Prior to that he served at churches in Washington and California. A graduate of Life Pacific University in San Dimas, CA in Pastoral Ministry, and Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA with a Masters in Leadership and Spirituality. He and his wife Denise have four grown children and four grandchildren. John is the author of "Don't Give Up: Encouragement for Weary Souls in Challenging Times," a book for pastoral leaders, a children's book called "The Way I See You," and the forthcoming "Leave A Mark: The Jouney of Intentional Parenting." You can connect with John on Instagram (@johnfehlen) as well as at johnfehlen.substack.com.8 responses to “The Party Crasher”
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John, I found your post incredibly insightful, especially the conversations between you and your mother. As someone who isn’t American, it was fascinating to get that intimate glimpse into a discussion that’s quite foreign to me. Your reflections on the quippy quotes and how we sometimes misuse them to reinforce our biases really hit home. And wow, those quotes from Jesus and the Powers—they pack quite a punch!
Thanks so much Mathieu, and thanks for reading it! The conversations with my mom definitely is something I still think about often—funny how family talks can bring up such deep stuff, right?
And yeah, those quotes from Jesus and the Powers really stick with you. It’s amazing how we love pulling out those catchy lines, but they can sometimes lose meaning out of context.
I’d love to hear more about how this all looks from your side of things in Canada, eh. How does faith and politics play out where you are?
John, you write, “Humanity loves quippy quotes pulled from their context, especially those that support their previously held biases and reinforce the power in which they believe they hold,” and I read this just as I was thinking, “Dang, I need to write down some of those quotes…I think they would preach.” One of the things I enjoyed about this book though was just as I was nodding along and thinking, “Oh yeah. They are on MY side!” they’d bring up the “good” of the other side, and I found myself, nodding along even then. They cut a middle line while also making it clear that those of us who preach have a responsibility to take a stand (at least that is what I heard) when it comes to the way of Jesus. I thought it was a brilliant book – and I also really enjoyed the quotes you pulled out.
Haha, I totally get that! Those quotes are definitely preach-worthy! I love how Jesus and the Powers does that—it gets you thinking, “Yeah, this is totally my side,” and then it flips the script and makes you reconsider. It really challenges us to hold both perspectives in tension, which I think is so needed. Also, it’s a good reminder that as preachers, we’ve got to navigate that middle line while still standing firm in what Jesus calls us to.
Hi John,
Great post. I went to the link and bought your recommended book, The Party Crasher.
You wrote, “I never want to reduce a book to quippy tweet-like punchlines. However, Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright and Michal Bird is absolutely chock full of amazingly powerful teeth punches that capture so much of the significance of this important resource. (a couple of my favorites)
• “Democracy is only as good as the people and institutions guarding it” (pg. 163).
• “We need to choose truth over tribe” (pg. 169).
• “Democracy’s strength is that it can sustain diversity. Democracy’s weakness is that diversity creates conflict” (pg. 170).
I hit 65 this weekend and have made some life changing decisions, 1) I will never drive a motorcycle and 2) I am not buying the 18 inch chainsaw that I have been coveting for a while. I decided I want to have my skin and limbs intact for age 66.
Back to your post…
Normally, I am thrilled by Christians shining their light in the world.
For instance, I have been an admirer and friend of Dr. Marc LiVecche executive editor of Providence Magazine. They write about themselves…Founded in 2015, Providence examines global statecraft with Christian Realism. We are inspired by Christianity & Crisis, the journal Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr founded in 1941 to argue for the moral and geopolitical imperative of American leadership against totalitarian aggression. We believe American Christians have a special duty to interpret America’s vocation in the world today. We seek to uplift the best of historic Christian political theology, to foster wider conversation about spirituality in politics, and to create a community of serious Christian public thinkers serving America and the world.
My years in the U.S. Army sought to be in a place where I could stand against tyranny. I accepted the concept of “Holy Violence” when needed.
HOWEVER
I wonder, however, if political theology has distracted me from my “Kingdom work.” This morning I read an article “The Year of Elections Has Been Good for Democracy But the Biggest Test Will Come in America By Francis Fukuyama
September 4, 2024, in Foreign Affairs.
Normally, I would avidly read every word, but today at 0700 I am speaking with a pastor in Kenya to vet a Soccer coach who wants to work with GoodSports International (www.goodsportsinternational.org).
When I compare these two events I rediscover that my Return to JOY (RARE Leadership) is really in Loving God, Loving Kids, when necessary use sports. (www.goodsportsinternational.org)
Sigh, I have had a major shift in my priorities since my return from Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary.
The impact that I have on the presidential election is negligible. Despite Fukuyama’s argument that the rise of authoritarian leaders are forcing real democratic debate, I wonder if my energies could best be used elsewhere.
Loving God, Loving kids and using sports when necessary.
Oops it is 0646 time to get ready for Kenya
Shalom
Hey, thanks for your message, and happy birthday! I’m with you on staying off motorcycles and away from chainsaws – sounds like a good plan for keeping skin and limbs intact!
Russell, I really appreciate your reflections, especially the tension you’re feeling between political theology and your Kingdom work. You are a huge inspiration to so many, including myself!
Are you going to Kenya? I’ve been many times, and absolutely fell in love with the people and land. 🙂
“…he’d rather be ruled by a wise Turk than a foolish Christian”
Like you said, FIRE. I’m concered about believers who want to vote for someone because they talk about God and promise Christians power over wanting to vote for someone who might be the better candidate and person.
Oh man. I know we are here for ‘such a time as this’ but I kinda wish we were at November 5 already. Can I snap my fingers and make it so?
And I miss your mom, she was a truly great woman and (like Leo McGarry said about Mrs. Landingham) “she was a real dame, an old friend, a real broad”… even if we would’ve thought she was a bit of a Christian Nationalist these days. 🙂
Yes. Christian nationalism is scary. I have a friend(ish) person who belonged to a church my husband was a pastor at in California. She just posted a group meeting at a different church she belongs to called “Preppers and Patriots” group to talk about Biblical Citizenship in Modern America”. The subtitle was “Prepping is more than Bullets and Beans!”. it’s a wee bit shocking.